Fabric with Circuitry and Electrical Components

Abstract

Interlacing equipment may be used to form fabric such as woven fabric. The woven fabric may include warp strands and weft strands. In a Leno weave, a warp strand may include one or more covering strands twisted around a core strand. The covering strands and/or the core strand may be conductive to form a conductive warp strand. An electrical component may be mounted to the conductive warp strand. A first electrical connection may couple the electrical component to the core strand and a second electrical connection may couple the electrical component to the covering strand. The two electrical connections may be isolated from one another. A warp strand may have a first region in which the core includes a conductive strand and a second region in which the conductive strand forms part of the covering or is located on an outer surface of the covering.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Woven fabric, comprising:
 warp strands including a conductive warp strand, wherein the conductive warp strand comprises a core strand and a covering strand that wraps around the core strand;   weft strands woven with the warp strands; and   an electrical component mounted to the fabric, wherein the electrical component is electrically coupled to the core strand via a first electrical connection and is electrically coupled to the covering strand via a second electrical connection that is isolated from the first electrical connection.   
     
     
         2 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 1  wherein the core strand comprises a first conductive core and a first outer insulating coating and the covering strand comprises a second conductive core and a second outer insulating coating. 
     
     
         3 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 2  wherein the first outer insulating coating and the second outer insulating coating are formed from different materials. 
     
     
         4 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 3  wherein the different materials have different melting temperatures. 
     
     
         5 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 2  wherein the first electrical connection comprises an ultraviolet-light-cured material and the second electrical connection comprises solder material. 
     
     
         6 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 2  wherein the core strand has a first segment, the covering strand has a second segment, and the first segment is uncovered by the second segment. 
     
     
         7 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 6  wherein the first electrical connection is located on the first segment and the second electrical connection is located on the second segment. 
     
     
         8 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 7  wherein the covering strand has a first twist direction in a first region of the conductive warp strand and a second opposing twist direction in a second region of the conductive warp strand, and wherein the second segment is located between the first and second regions. 
     
     
         9 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 1  wherein the electrical component comprises first and second grooves. 
     
     
         10 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 9  wherein the first electrical connection is located in the first groove and the second electrical connection is located in the second groove. 
     
     
         11 . A fabric strand having a length, a first region along the length, and a second region along the length, the fabric strand comprising:
 a core that extends along the length, wherein the core comprises a conductive strand in the first region; and   a covering that wraps around the core, wherein the conductive strand is exposed on an outer surface of the fabric strand in the second region.   
     
     
         12 . The fabric strand defined in  claim 11  wherein the conductive strand forms at least part of the covering in the second region. 
     
     
         13 . The fabric strand defined in  claim 11  wherein the covering comprises a non-conductive strand in the first region that electrically insulates the conductive strand in the first region. 
     
     
         14 . The fabric strand defined in  claim 13  wherein the non-conductive strand forms at least part of the core in the second region. 
     
     
         15 . The fabric strand defined in  claim 13  wherein the non-conductive strand is interposed between the core and the conductive strand in the second region. 
     
     
         16 . The fabric strand defined in  claim 11  wherein the core comprises an additional conductive strand in the first region, wherein the additional conductive strand is exposed on the outer surface of the fabric strand in a third region along the length of the fabric strand. 
     
     
         17 . A woven fabric having a Leno weave, the woven fabric comprising:
 weft strands; and   warp strands woven with the weft strands, wherein at least one of the warp strands is a conductive warp strand that includes:
 a conductive core strand; and 
 first and second covering strands twisted around the conductive core strand, wherein the woven fabric comprises a region in which the first and second covering strands are separated from the conductive core strand. 
   
     
     
         18 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 17  wherein the first and second covering strands are conductive, wherein the woven fabric has first and second opposing surfaces, wherein the conductive core strand is exposed on the first surface in the region, and wherein the first and second covering strands are exposed on the second surface in the region. 
     
     
         19 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 17  wherein at least some of the weft strands pass between the conductive core strand and the first and second covering strands. 
     
     
         20 . The woven fabric defined in  claim 17  wherein the conductive core strand comprises a conductive core and an outer insulating coating.